Pink
by Selbyzipper
Summary: A series of conversations between Carol and Daryl on the road between seasons 2 and 3 as Carol learns that making Daryl blush is surprisingly easy.


There were not many things left in the word that made Carol smile. Happy moments and levity were in very short supply. The farm gone. Sophia gone. The Grimes fighting. There whole group could feel the tension constantly. They would make camp in silence, cook in silence and scavenge in silence. That was until Carol noticed Daryl blush. He was shy, she knew that, but the blushing was new, and seemed it seemed reserved just for her.

The first time she saw the pink in his cheeks was because of an accidental dirty conversation. Daryl was explaining to her how to set a trap while Glenn walked past and had used the unfortunate wording "push it in a little harder" regarding a pin in the trap. That prompted Glenn to reply a "That's what she said" and stifle a giggle. Daryl's high cheekbones were almost immediately tinted pink while he glanced at Carol out of the corner of his eye,

Carol fell in love with those pink cheeks the second she saw them. She waited a moment and wondered how pink she could get them to be, She nudged him with her elbow and quietly muttered "Like you would ever need direction to go harder".

"Phft. Cut it out." He avoided her eyes.

She has assumed correctly. He could get a lot pinker.

She was going to have fun.

****  
A few days had past since the 'that's what she said' incident. Looking back and forth between the jeep they had recently picked up and Daryl on his bike. Lori's morning sickness had transformed into motion sickness. She needed a break from holding back her hair and comforting her as she puked into an old margarita mix bucket.

"Hey, Daryl? Can I ride with you today?" Carol glanced nervously back at the jeep.

"Can't handle the Queen Bitch another day?" He squinted and watched as Lori climbed into the jeep.

"Be nice, She is my friend." Carol admonished.

"I never heard anyone complain so much in my life. And I grew up with Merle." Daryl shrugged. "Is it Rick? You need me to talk to him?"

"No, its not that. Maybe I just want to be with you?" she tiled her head flirtatiously to the side.

"Get on" he shook his head at her. "You are incorrigible."

Carol raised an eyebrow at him, "Incorrigible?"

"Yep. That's you. Your picture right there in the dictionary." He grinned one of his very rare smiles.

"That's probably pretty true..." Carol slid onto the back of the motorcycle, pressed as close to Daryl as she could get and in a low voice added "and I do so love having something so hard between my thighs". She bit her lower lip as she watched his earlobes glow a brilliant magenta.

****

They had been on the road for weeks. Camp circles by night, endlessly driving in circles by day. The day to day tension of being on the road was lessening as they became accustom to the frustrations of not having a base camp. Peeing on the side of the road. Eating almost exclusively cold canned vegetables. Trying to sleep cramped into the vehicles when it rained. No place was good enough for Rick. No fences, not good enough fences, broken windows, too many windows, not enough windows... nothing was good enough.

Only one thing was hard for Carol to get used to. The lack of bathing facilities. She could smell herself, and it was terrible. Deodorant no longer covered the body odor from any of them. The headrests in the vehicles were becoming stained with hair grease. It had been too long.

A few early risers had gathered around Hershel while Carol prepared plain oatmeal for everyone.

"Hershel? Please. You have to talk to him. We need a break. We are all disgusting." Lori pleaded.

"Daddy, I can't sit in that car another day like this." Beth stood "We're all so icky"

"Speak for yourself, I'm fine" Daryl began walking toward the woods to hunt, crossbow hanging off his shoulder.

"Ha!" Carol barked out turning away toward the oatmeal.

"You got something to say?" Daryl spun quickly invading her space and essentially blocking the others from their conversation.

"What? We are all gross." she stuck her middle finger deep into her mouth, slowing pulling it out wet with saliva. Then, starting at the apex of his ear and jawline, drug her now damp finger down his throat revealing his pinked skin. She held up the now grimy finger tip, "See, you're dirty, just like me." She smirked.

He froze for a moment, took a slow stuttering breath. "You're definitely dirty. There is a creek, its no more than a mile or so in that direction. Its cold. You need it."

"So, you are saying that I need a cold creek bath?"

"Yes."

"Will you be joining me, or just watching?" She couldn't help the grin that was growing on her face as she watched that clean stripe on Daryl's neck getting brighter and brighter pink.

"Lord, woman... Just get your stuff." He turned back to the others. "There is a creek, bout a mile out, I'll take some of you to clean up. We'll do shifts."

"No fun." Carol muttered to his back.

****

"Hey, How is your shoulder?" Daryl accepted a bowl of greyish mush from Carol. The sun was just cresting over the horizon. It felt so good knowing safety was so close. This prison was going to be such a huge change for their family.

"Better. If it helped up get this place, the pain is worth it for once." Carol scanned the field that they had cleared. "This is huge, you know?"

"Yeah." He nodded.

"We have some real space finally. We can have privacy. With some work we can _really_ make this a home." she continued to stir the mush in the pot over the fire.

"What is this?" Daryl stood his spoon up in the mush.

"I had a little left of the Cream of Wheat."

"Whys it grey?" He crinkled his nose.

"Just try it." she winked.

He tentatively ate a small spoon full then groaned in ecstasy, "Damn woman, what is this?"

"I found a few early blackberries and some honeysuckle by that creek T found yesterday, not really enough for the whole thing, but enough to flavor it a little and apparently turn the mix grey." she said with triumph.

"It is really good. They're gonna love it." he gestured to their sleeping friends.

"I figured we could celebrate a little. Its like a weight has been lifted, you know?" she sighed a little as she watched Daryl devour his breakfast.

"Really?" He stopped to look at her.

"What?"

"No jokes today? Nothing about licking it clean? or eating it all? Nothing?" He suggested as for once Carol was the once blushing.

Carol's eyes opened wide as the heat flushed her face, "Well, uh..." she shrugged, she wasn't used to the tables being turned on her. "I must be off my game today."

"After last night," he gestured to the overturned bus, "I was thinking maybe, if you were ever serious, that might be ok. If you wanted." Daryl's pink cheeks now matched hers.

"Yeah?" She snapped to attention, eyes locked on his.

"Yeah." He nodded. He noticed over her shoulder Rick returning from a walk around the perimeter. "Hey, man, Did you have some of this?" Holding up his now empty bowl.

"Not yet, Its grey." Rick glanced into the pot.

"Trust me, She's got the nectar of the gods, I couldn't keep it out of my mouth." Daryl forced the slight innuendo out.

Rick snorted and grinned as he watched their exchange. "I don't wanna know anything about that, just give me a bowl of breakfast and I'll be on my way."

"Oh god." Carol covered her ever reddening face with her hand as she handed a bowl to Rick.

"I'm going to go try to scrounge up something for dinner later, " Daryl announced, then dropping his voice lower so only Carol could hear him, "Wanna talk later?"

"Seriously?"

"Yeah"

"Ok, Later. Once we're in there. We'll talk." She smiled wide while pressing the cool backs of her hands against her warm cheeks, working to remove the blush before the others woke up.

"Sure. Talk." Daryl winked.

"Oh my god, cut it out!" she laughed.

"Payback is fair game woman." Daryl called as he walked off toward the fence opening.

"So..." Rick started before Carol stopped him.

"Nope, not discussing it."

"Fine... " he gave her a shit eating grin and turned to begin waking the rest of their group. They had a long day ahead of them. 


End file.
